{"id":2356,"date":"2025-10-18T04:46:37","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T11:46:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maxvollmer.com\/?page_id=2356"},"modified":"2026-01-02T14:09:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T22:09:00","slug":"my-poetry","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/maxvollmer.com\/?page_id=2356","title":{"rendered":"My Poetry"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">OREGON MISTS<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Days pass like Oregon mists;<br \/>\nspeaking in sotto voce<br \/>\nof the endless cycle<br \/>\nof being and ceasing to be<br \/>\nof cataclysm and aftermath<br \/>\nof awkward instants and<br \/>\nlong afternoons.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">SNOWFALL<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">I awoke to the silent deluge . . .<br \/>\nfalling<br \/>\nheadlong<br \/>\nthe bleached blood of martyr and rogue<br \/>\nspilled without regard<br \/>\n. . . by cruel Edict!<br \/>\nAnd as naturally torn from the maiden<br \/>\nwrapped in fear<br \/>\na sacrifice to newborn gods<br \/>\nwho wear it like rouge.<br \/>\nYea, it is the blood of all<br \/>\nthat falls<br \/>\nmilky white<br \/>\nupon our mother\u2019s breast<br \/>\nsup and sustenance<br \/>\nsap and soul<br \/>\nthe phantom of redemption<br \/>\nmade whole.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">THE FOUNDRY<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">The massive hammer blows beat a steady rhythm, refining, transforming the white hot bloom . . . the devil\u2019s flesh . . . and devil\u2019s work it was. It took possession of the souls of men who worked there. Wages? Something for wives and children. No, it was the fires of hell, the searing heat of the river of iron pouring from the furnace, the cacophony of foundry noise, the knowledge that their lives depended on the uncertain sobriety of the furnace master. That\u2019s what held them.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">WHITE WARRIOR<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">White warrior<br \/>\nadrift in aquamarine<br \/>\nshoots soft arrows<br \/>\nin another time.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Tribesmen in dark robes<br \/>\nstand mute<br \/>\nawaiting<br \/>\na new council fire.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Mothers of the multitude<br \/>\nstand guard<br \/>\nover innocence<br \/>\nshedding bright colors.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">All<br \/>\nwrapped in echoes<br \/>\nAll<br \/>\nwrapped in stillness.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">IN MEMORIAM<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Instant bird sound!\u00a0 Half remembered<br \/>\nI hold my ears<br \/>\nBrief screech of violent death<br \/>\nPierces.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">FIRST STONE<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">This first stone<br \/>\nstone upon which<br \/>\nstone shall rest<br \/>\nuntil the wall<br \/>\nshall be a sight<br \/>\nfor all to behold<br \/>\nmust be set straight<br \/>\nby loving hands<br \/>\nwhen it wants to fall back<br \/>\ninto primeval slumber.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">UNTITLED<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">What is love without loss?<br \/>\nA pale shadow.<br \/>\nAnd what is joy without suffering?<br \/>\nAn impulse.<br \/>\nWhat is life without death?<br \/>\nAn impostor.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>OREGON MISTS Days pass like Oregon mists; speaking in sotto voce of the endless cycle of being and ceasing to be of cataclysm and aftermath of awkward instants and long afternoons. &nbsp; SNOWFALL I awoke to the silent deluge . . . falling headlong the bleached blood of martyr and rogue spilled without regard . &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/maxvollmer.com\/?page_id=2356\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">My Poetry<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2356","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maxvollmer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maxvollmer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maxvollmer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maxvollmer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maxvollmer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2356"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/maxvollmer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2356\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3104,"href":"https:\/\/maxvollmer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2356\/revisions\/3104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maxvollmer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}